The ubiquitous solar electric propulsion stageMission analyses indicate there are several near-term interplanetary missions that cannot be performed with any degree of sophistication without electric propulsion. Cost and performance benefits are suggested when this same technology is included in the Shuttle-based earth-orbital transportation system. Specific earth-orbital payload programs gain from increased weight allowances, decreased costs through simplification, and reduced numbers of spacecraft due to on-orbit servicing. More ambitious mission planners looking toward space industrialization will find uses ranging from GSO debris clearance to a versatile support element for a multipurpose manned space station.
Document ID
19760063170
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Austin, R. E. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, Ala., United States)
Dod, R. E. (Boeing Aerospace Co. Kent, WA, United States)
Terwilliger, C. H. (Boeing Aerospace Co. Kent, Wash., United States)